Raf Delogu

EAA/Oshkosh dubs itself as “the world’s greatest aviation celebration” and any aviation enthusiast who has been lucky enough to go there would likely concur. Perhaps it’s the sheer number and variety of aircraft present, or the impressive show that EAA puts together each year. Personally, the creative ideas and new products that the attendees bring to Wittman field rank very highly: they infuse a great deal of enthusiasm into an already electrifying atmosphere.

During our week-long exhibit, GE showcased some of its more recent products, such as the H80 turboprop engine, and our Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) system.

I have talked to you about IVHM in my recent posts and the response that we have been getting from industry leaders has been tremendous, so I thought I’d share with you some of the slides that we presented at Oshkosh.

As you may expect, many of the aircraft health management questions that we have been posed recently revolve around the possibility of reducing delays and improving the efficiency of maintenance operations. They can generally be categorized into three main areas. First, operators and airframers alike are interested in solutions that can not only gather data, but also analyze it. Second, they want to harness the computing technology of such systems to potentially uncover issues before they occur (prognostics). Finally, they want to ensure that the data is protected from unauthorized access.

I am obviously pleased by the fact that GE’s IVHM addresses all three areas. Moreover I am excited by the fact that the world of aviation is becoming increasingly savvy about the potential to channel today’s technology towards improving the experience of flying.

It will be interesting to see what the creative minds of industry players will bring to Oshkosh next year.